Debian :: XKB - Super - Not A Modifier In Custom Layout
May 29, 2011
I've written my custom keyboard layout, where I'm trying to remap the Menu key as Super. The key gets remapped, however Super is not recognized as a modifier key, unlike with a standard layout I've used as a comparison. What puzzles me is that the left Windows key, which I never refer to in my custom layout stops working as well.
Here is the relevant section of my custom layout:
Output of xev command shows the key has been remapped correctly:
Predefinations: From here on in, I will refer to the "Windows Key" on the keyboard as the "Super Key" (Linux terminology)
Consider a user's experience in Windows: * UseCaseA: Accessing the start menu --> "Super Key" open the menu. * UseCaseB: Open the "run dialogue" --> "Super Key" + R * UseCaseC: Open win explorer --> "Super Key" + E * etc.
In GNOME/ubuntu however, apparently there is this odd limitation in that the "Super Key" cannot be both a standalone key, and a modifier key. Is it still the case? Currently running Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10. Apparently in KDE this works, and in Windows it's worked since Windows95. How can we achieve this functionality in Ubuntu/gnome?
I was using a custom layout for my keyboard as I've a UK laptop but still use french accents sometimes. After the update from Wheezy to Jessie my configs disappeared so I have put them back:
- Defining my layout here: /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/gb - Adding here: /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.xml and here /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml in the gb configItem
Code: Select all    <variant>      <configItem>       <name>accentsFR</name>       <description>English (UK with french accents)</description>      </configItem>     </variant>
- Adding the declaration of the layout here /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst and here /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.lst
Code: Select all accentsFR    gb: English (UK with french accents)
So everything looks alright, if I go to System Tools -> Preferences -> Settings -> Keyboard -> Input Source my layout is well selected and I can even see the correct layout by clicking on the keyboard icon (cf my snapshot)
Here is the snapshot of the keyboard input source settings: [URL]....
There have been some posts on this forum about custom keyboard layouts, but the latest one was more than three years ago, and is outdated. I found the following code for a custom dvorak international keyboard layout here, but it directs me to copy this code into the folder /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/pc, a folder which does not seem to exist in 9.10 or 9.04.
Code:
As this is the only thing I felt Windows did better than Ubuntu (custom keyboard layouts), I would love to be able to change the layout and finally seal the deal with Ubuntu.
I have written a custom keyboard layout that I'm trying to install in Kubuntu 10.10. This is the layout: [URL]
I have added the layout as /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/dotan and made these changes:
In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst I added this: ! layout dotan Dotan Of course, the !layout line was already there, I did not touch it. In /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.xml I added this: <layoutList> <layout>
[Code]....
However, after a reboot I do not see the new layout in KDE's configuration for these things.
Note: this is a repost of a post on the geekhack forums. After posting I realised that LinuxQuestions is the better place to ask this. For reference, here is the original geekhack thread: [URL]
I have several partitions on my hard drive, and like to use the 'Create Custom Layout' option during the installation process, to make sure that I don't loose any of my existing partitions or the data on them.
I have attempted a minimal F12 installation from Fedora 12 DVD. But the 'Create Custom Layout' option is not an option in the menu.
How do I install F12 and tell anaconda exactly which partitions I want to use and format?
My current working partition layout is shown in the attached screenshot.
I want to use the following custom partition layout during the initial F12 installation:
This allows me to share existing partitions between my current working F10 root partition, and the newly-installed F12 root partition. So if there are problems with the new F12 installation, I still have a working F10 system to fall back on.
The other partitions with data on will be mounted when the intiall installation has been completed
Since the kernel of F11 live-cd can't recognize my video card, I have to run it in text mode. I also have to run "liveinst" in text mode and the install progess seemed ok. But on the partitioning selection step, there is no "custom layout" option! I rembered that in the graphic mode there was such option. How can I find it in the text mode?
I am trying to install fedora15, my devices are as follows: /dev/sda1- contains windows recovery /dev/sda2- contains windows vista /dev/sda3- free space /dev/sda4- where fedora10 is existing.
Basically I want to scrap the fedora 10 in /dev/sda4 and install fed15 on the place (ext3). During the installation process fedora asked me, Which type of installation you want? I choose 'create custom layout'.
Then in the next window that appeared I choose /dev/sda4. Then it gives me four options like Create Edit Delete Reset
I want to know what does this Delete mean. What will it do, will is erase all the older partitions within /dev/sda4 i made for fedora10 (previously I made three partitions /boot, swap, /) or will erase /dev/sda4 itself. I am scared to continue installation further.
I'm using Ubuntu (Karmic) and 2 keyboard layouts. Using the gnome settings, I managed to set it to switch with Alt+Shift (windows style), but I really want to limit it to Right Alt + Right Shift, but that option isn't available in the gnome wizard. I've opened gconf-editor and found the kbd configuration, but trying to add 'r' or 'right_' prefixes to the keys didn't help.
Is there a way to set up a custom keyboard layout? (ex: set q to the f key, etc.) I have looked around, but have been unable to find one.
If there isn't one, then a (basically) equivalent solution for me would be to map some of the symbols I need (ex: Δx,Σ,ect.) to ctrl-/,ctrl-., ect. through keyboard shortcuts. The problem I run into here is that I do not know of any commands that paste a specific symbol into the focused text input area. Does anyone know of one?
Upgrading fc10 to fc12 with a fresh install. Made several partitions with fdisk. mkfs failed."Bad superblock at block 1.Need blocks 1 to 4 to create file system. Aborting.Tried mkfs -c, badblocks, dumpe2fs,no joy. No backup superblocks,because I had already fdisked.
Repartitioned starting at cyl 10. mkfs worked fine then. FC12 installer still could not initialise disk, however. I guess it looks at block 1, to initialise before it offers diskdruid, so it never gets to see my custom partition layout. How can I force the installer to accept my custom partition layout? Is a bad superblock at block 1 a fatal, throw-the-disk-away fault?
I never use the <AppsKey> (or <Menu>), and I want to convert it to a modifier key, e.g. Mod4, Mod5, etc. So as to utilize some shortcuts like <Mod5>+<Shift>+J.
how to use the <Super>ButtonX (<Super>Button1 for example for the enabled Compiz Screenshot plugin)? I also notice there is configurable buttons 1 throught 20 under the various options. At first I thought the ButtonX was a mouse button. Maybe it is with some anticipation of there being eventually being a possible 20 buttons on the mouse. I know the Super key is the Key with the Windows logo on it. But I don't know what to do to get the needed Super Key / Button combination. After having enabled Compiz's Screenshot plugin by its default, I don't get an image after hitting any of the Super key and mouse button combinations. I'm running Ubuntu 11.04.
Running Ubuntu Lucid Lynx, GNOME 2.3Keyboard Preferences utilityAdding any Spanish language keyboard layout makes my Alt_R not work in ANY layout! I see that it changes Alt_R to "Iso_L..." for all/both layouts, including USA layout. When I click "Reset to Defaults" it's fine again, USA layout shows Alt_R again. I've tried all the variants of the Latin American layout and the Spain layout and they all do the same thing.What is "ISO_L..." and what's going on?i DESPERATELY need my Alt_R to work!
With my other computermore or less the same.Its a desktop PC with an spanisch keyboard. But i thinck i picked German keyboard during installation and now it starts always with german with some sort of 5 secs delay when setting it. I have to pick spanisch and i always delete the german layout, but after some time having it running, it resets to the previusly deleted german layout.
I am running Debian Squeeze stable on a bare atom board. Only yesterday I installed an analog PCI TV tuner (AverTV Super 009). But I am unable to tune any TV/FM channel. Is it that the stock squeeze kernel doesn't have driver for this particular card? Or I'm missing some bits in configuration? Do I need to upgrade kernel (is any later kernel available in backports)? Here is some info that you may require:
having problems with my keyboard layout since upgrade from F11 to F12. When I reboot and login into gnome I have to switch back to my layout as it has been set to USA default layout.
After a week of working with Debian, I decided to install the KDE3 version straight from an NetInstall CD. This fixed some issues for me as well as made networking and folder sharring a snap! But now its time to add all the extra packages I need.
Here's the problem: Using any kind of Package Manager yields the same results: E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable) E: Unable to lock the administration directory (var/lib/dpkg/), in another process using it? RESULT=100
I've tried apt-get from root command line and the KPackage Manager that comes with KDE3 with same results. I have only one user that was created during Debian install. I'm having some other problems, from what I've seen on the net, they all seem to point to not having proper Super User access (I'm guessing here). What could cause this error? AND/OR How do I make sure I have top level access to the configure the system? (I tried logging in as "root", but the login errored out saying that this was not allowed).
when I finally wanted to install Debian to my hardrive. Somehow, how to copy it to USB drive and make it boot-able. Installation process started without problems, but it failed on step called (something like) "Find files in CD-ROM" - what was expectable, since I used USB drive. So I wanted to unmount "/cdrom" and mount my USB drive there instead. I moved to another terminal, and searched for right device. "ls /dev" does not help, since I can't scroll to see other devices. Also kernel messages - can't scroll. Tried to change keyboard layout, still didn't work. I also can't use less, because there is no apt-get installed. Another problem is, that after trying to mount only viewable device (/dev/sda1), mount failed bacause I gave there invalid argument, or directory didn't exist. (Note that I created directory in /mnt/... or /media/... first). So I am asking - how can I remap keyboard to use those page up/down keys?
I have a dual boot system. I need dual boot as my dictation software is only available for Windows. In the future I am going to try a virtual machine, but dictation and audio did not work properly the last time I tried in VM. But unfortunately for now I have a dual boot machine with Vista and Debian 6. Unfortunately, I am going to have to reinstall Vista. Or to be more accurate I'm going to install the 64-bit version instead of the 32 bit that came with the computer. I have the 64-bit version that I no longer use from one of my other computers.
Anyway, I have to install Windows which will overwrite my grub2. Is there anyway I can make a backup or reinstall grub2 after I install Windows. I really don't want to reinstall Debian 6 squeeze. Can they make some sort of a backup of gurb2 before I do this. I checked out the Internet and I found something called Super Grub2. It apparently will allow me to boot back into Debain 6 so that I can install grub2 again. Assuming, Super Grub2 even works then how do I reinstall grub2 once a boot into Debian 6? Has anybody tried Super grub2, does it work? It's kind of hard to test it, with a working version of grub2.
I've got an Atom-based EeePC1000 with 2.6.34-0.slh.11-sidux-686.The DebianEeePC wiki ( as the following information.As of kernel 2.6.30, the "Super Hybrid Engine" is supported: /sys/devices/platform/eeepc/cpufv contains a value which is 256× the number of available settings plus the current setting; you write a number n (0 ≤ n < number of available settings) to it to alter the setting.
I'm running kind of a mix between Wheezy and the occasional package from Sid. I've got the 2.6.32 kernel installed, as well as 2.6.38 and 2.6.39.
With the first kernel (2.6.32), my sound is normal, everything works fine. With the latter two, even using the same driver, my sound is quiet even with the volume up all the way, not to mention that somehow the available volume controls change along with this update. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar, and if they managed to fix it or work around it without just booting into the older kernel?
Using: Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (Gnome). I have a physical disability which makes pressing the <Ctrl><Alt> key combination very hard, but it would be nice to have that key combination available to me for keyboard shortcuts. I've never got on with 'Sticky Keys' and don't want to use that as a solution, it takes me so long that it is self-defeating as a shortcut key combination. I use a reduced size keyboard, a Cherry ML4100 (image below), which has a 'Fn' key between the left <Ctrl> and <Alt> keys, this 'Fn' key when pressed in conjunction with F1 or F2 will simulate a F11/F12 key press (see image), it also allows the use of a 'num pad' with the u,i,o,p, etc. keys to the right of the centre of the keyboard but which I never use.
In System -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts I can not currently use the 'Fn' key at all, it is totally ignored, the system just does not recognize it. Eg. If I press <Fn><A> only 'A' is recognized. What I'd like to do is somehow map the 'Fn' key so that when pressed at the same time as <Ctrl> it simulates a <Ctrl><Alt> key press, while still leaving 'Fn' to work as usual generating F11/F12 key presses when F1/F2 is pressed with it. Alternatively if I could set up the 'Fn' key to work as a shortcut with any other key, EG. <Fn><LeftArrow> to switch to the left workspace, and then map F11 and F12 to another key combination - in fact this second solution would be preferable.
However the xev utility, which I had hoped would provide me with a key mapping code for 'Fn', does not even register when 'Fn' is pressed on its own, but when 'Fn' is pressed with F1 it gives what I suppose is the the F11 key code (it is a different code to what is shown when F1 is pressed on its own). I am beginning to suspect that what I am trying to do is not possible. My disability means that using keyboard shortcuts is a really good way of my doing things, much faster than the mouse, so I'd like a lot set up, and I mean far more than most people would ever use, including starting a dozen or so regularly used apps, I'm running out of what I can do with <Ctrl><Shift>, so really need to simulate <Ctrl><Alt> or have the 'Fn' key active when setting my Keyboard Shortcuts, EG. <FN><A>.
This just started happening, but I haven't logged out or rebooted in a while, so I'm not sure what could be causing this. I have setup some keyboard shortcuts to use the Win modifier key (Mod4, Super, whatever). The keyboard shortcuts utility in KDE list it as the Win key so that is how I will refer to it. Some example shortcuts: Win+t starts a terminal, Win+m toggles windows maximize mode. I had these setup and they were working fine on this install that I've had for about a month, but they stopped working today. I can still use Ctrl, Alt, and Shift as modifier keys and they work fine.
I open the keyboard shortcuts utility in KDE Control Center (kcontrol) and start to set a new keyboard shortcut. i.e. I click on the button to "build" a keyboard shortcut. I can press the Win key and it shows that it detects it, but when I press the 't' key, the shortcut is just set as 't' instead of Win+t. I can also push shift+win and that shows in the builder but when I press the 't' key, the shortcut is now set to 'shift+t', so it seems like the Win key is acting funky.
CentOS version 5.4 KDE version 3.5.4-25.el1.centos.1
